37 Excellent Spinach Cultivars to Grow in Your Garden
Spinach, one of the most nutritious vegetables out there, is a wonderful addition to any garden. With its ability to thrive in colder weather and its quick maturity, spinach offers plenty of benefits for any gardener. However, when it comes to choosing the right cultivar, the options can be overwhelming. With so many excellent spinach varieties available, it can be challenging to pick just one.
To help you navigate this sea of spinach cultivars, we’ve compiled a list of 37 of the best options out there. From fast-growing hybrids to heat-tolerant heirlooms, there’s a cultivar for every garden. Let’s take a closer look at these spinach varieties and what makes each one special.
Categories of Spinach Cultivars
Spinach is categorized based on leaf type. Savoyed varieties have heavily wrinkled leaves, while semi-savoyed varieties have less pronounced wrinkles. Flat or smooth types, as the name suggests, have smooth leaves without any wrinkles.
When choosing a spinach cultivar, it’s essential to consider the days to maturity. Early harvesting dates are suitable for tender baby leaves, while later dates are for cutting the entire mature plant at once.
Best Spinach Cultivars to Grow in Your Garden
Here are the 37 spinach cultivars we’ll be discussing in this article:
- Acadia
- A La Carte
- America
- Auroch
- Avon
- Baby’s Leaf
- Bloomsdale Long Standing
- Butterflay
- Carmel
- Corvair
- Crocodile
- Double Choice
- Double Take
- Early Hybrid No. 7
- Emperor
- Flamingo
- Galilee
- Gazelle
- Giant Noble
- Hammerhead
- Harmony
- Kolibri
- Lizard
- Merlo Nero
- Palco
- Persius
- Red Cardinal
- Red Tabby
- Reflect
- Regiment
- Riverside
- Seaside
- Space
- Teton
- Tyee
- Viroflay
- Woodpecker
Each of these cultivars has unique characteristics that make them suitable for different growing conditions and preferences. Let’s delve into a few of them to give you a taste of what each cultivar has to offer.
1. Acadia
Acadia is a semi-savoy variety with glossy, oval-shaped deep green leaves. This hybrid is perfect for sandwiches and salads, with petite leaves that are ready for harvesting in just 27 days. Acadia is resistant to bolting and downy mildew, making it a reliable choice for any garden.
2. A La Carte
A La Carte is a savory hybrid with flavorful foliage that resembles lamb’s-quarter. It is a perfect addition to salads or garnishes, with leaves that can be harvested in 30 days or matured in 45 days. This cultivar offers both taste and versatility in the garden.
3. America
America is an heirloom savoy cultivar known for its slow bolting, heat tolerance, and resistance to mildew. With thick oval leaves ready for harvest in 43 to 55 days, America has stood the test of time as a reliable spinach variety.
4. Auroch
Auroch is a hybrid cultivar with long stems and thin, flat oval leaves. This variety matures quickly in just 24 days and is resistant to mildew. Auroch is best grown in the late fall, winter, or early spring for optimal performance.
5. Avon
Avon is a fast-growing hybrid with baby leaves ready in 25 days and mature plants in 45 days. This semi-savoyed cultivar is slow to bolt and offers a quick and reliable harvest. Avon is an excellent choice for gardeners looking for a rapid spinach crop.
6. Baby’s Leaf
Baby’s Leaf is a flat-leaf hybrid with extremely short stems, perfect for harvesting leafy greens without any waste. This cultivar is ready in 30 to 40 days and is exclusive to Burpee. Baby’s Leaf is a versatile option for any garden.
Additional Information
When growing spinach, it’s essential to rotate your crops and choose resistant cultivars to prevent diseases like downy mildew. Crop rotation ensures that spinach is not grown in the same place every three years, reducing the risk of disease.
Spinach cultivars vary in terms of resistance to disease, days to maturity, and leaf types, providing a wide range of options for gardeners. By selecting the right cultivar based on your preferences and growing conditions, you can enjoy a bountiful harvest of fresh spinach throughout the season.
In conclusion, spinach cultivars offer a diverse array of choices for gardeners, each with its own unique characteristics and benefits. With the information provided in this article, you can confidently choose the best spinach cultivar for your garden and enjoy a delicious and nutritious harvest. Happy gardening!
Have you tried any of these spinach cultivars in your garden? Share your experiences in the comments below!
